investitura

Forms

investītūra f (genitive investītūrae); first declension^[1][2]

Etymology

It is a Medieval Latin word,^[3][4] formed from Latin investiō (“to clothe; to put in possession”) + -tūra.^[1][5] In the sense “growing crop” the MLW derives it instead from in- and vestītūra.^[2][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates its earliest record in Niermeyer to 824.^[1] Niermeyer's senses include the putting of someone in possession of a property, a tenure, an office or a dignity.^[6]

Semantic evolution

The word belonged to law, government and the Church.^[2] Its central sense was the formal act by which a lord or superior put someone in possession of land, a fief, an office or a dignity,;^[6][2][3] from this it came to mean the right to grant such possession, the possession itself, landlordship, and a symbol of sovereignty.^[6][2] In the Church it was the installation of a bishop, abbot or parish priest,^[3][7] and Martin of Opava records a papal decree that no cleric should receive investiture from a layman.^[8]

Regional records show the same uses in Hungary, Poland and Bohemia, from church benefices to the granting of fiefs.^[9][8][10] The Medieval Latin word is the source of Italian investitura^[4] and of English investiture, recorded from the late 14th century for the ceremony of clothing someone in the insignia of office.^[5]

Timeline

• 824 – Köbler's earliest date for it.^[1]
• before 950 – An English church council speaks of patronage and investiture.^[3]
• 957 – A charter of Freising names the witnesses of an investiture.^[2]
• 1285 – A Polish document requires beneficed clerics to obtain letters of investiture.^[8]
• late 14th century – English borrows it as investiture.^[5]
• 1485 – A letter of King Matthias of Hungary reports that the King of Poland gave investiture to the voivode of Moldavia.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Medieval Latin) Investiture, the formal putting of someone in possession of a property, tenure, office or dignity; seizin.^[6][2][3]
2. (Medieval Latin) The right to grant investiture.^[2][3]
3. (Medieval Latin) Possession, a holding; landlordship.^[6][2]
4. (Medieval Latin, ecclesiastical) The installation of a bishop, abbot or parish priest; the office of a parish rector.^[3][11][7]
5. (Medieval Latin) A symbol of sovereignty.^[6]
6. (Medieval Latin) Vesture, a growing crop.^[6]

Related words

• investiō
• vestiō
• English investiture

References

1. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
3. ^ a b c d e f g Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
5. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
6. ^ a b c d e f g h Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
7. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
8. ^ a b c Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
9. ^ a b Bartal, Antal, et al. (1987–), Lexicon Latinitatis Medii Aevi Hungariae, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online ed. ELTE
10. ^ Latinitatis medii aevi lexicon Bohemorum / Slovník středověké latiny v českých zemích (1977–), Prague: Academia; electronic version, Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences
11. ^ du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre